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Every once in a while, I’ll turn on the TV and see one of those California tourism ads that show young, tanned people splashing in the ocean, going on wine tastings, enjoying Disneyland and mountain biking around the state. Those are the ads that make my East Coast friends green with envy when I say I’m soaking up the 85-degree weather here in Los Angeles in February. However, anyone who has ever lived in LA will probably agree that all that California sun comes at a price – a ridiculously high price. If you are considering buying a home in LA – especially if you didn’t grow up here or are moving here from another state – you are probably experiencing some major sticker shock right now. Continue reading →

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For most people, the first serious step in the home buying process is talking with a lender about getting pre-approved for a loan. These days, buyers generally understand that in order to know what their purchasing power is – and to have the ability to actually submit an offer on a house – you have to start with a loan pre-approval. But who should you talk to in order to complete that process? Continue reading →

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I recently had the opportunity to help out some colleagues in my office by writing an offer on their listing for some buyers who saw the property during an open house and didn’t have an agent. Most people probably think that agents love this type of situation – we get a call to write an offer for someone without having to do any “work” to help them find a house. However, the truth is that writing an offer is a fairly personal experience – one that can actually be kind of awkward if the buyers and the agent don’t have any kind of established relationship. Continue reading →

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You’ve been searching for your dream home for a year now, and finally you come across the perfect house. It’s everything you’ve been looking for, EXCEPT – the listing agent tells you that the awesome third bedroom “may not be permitted”. What does this mean? Can you still buy the house? SHOULD you still buy the house? Here are a few things you should know if you find yourself in this position. Continue reading →

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Let’s face it – HGTV makes buying a house look really easy. We’ve all seen those shows where the buyers have a little chat with their agent and she runs off to make a phone call with a verbal offer for the seller. When she comes back, she says, “you just bought a house!” Piece of cake, right? Well in reality, buying a house is usually a long process that has many stages. Writing your initial offer – as nerve-wracking as it may be – is usually just the first step in the dialogue between you and the seller. Continue reading →